Supporting the Future of the Profession

Supporting the Future of the Profession

Every qualified student should be able to choose USC to receive the highest standard of education regardless of their financial circumstances. Supporting our nursing and social work students is one of the most significant ways we can advance the role they play in society, ultimately effecting change in the communities in which they serve.

Meeting a Growing Need

Culturally diverse and competent professionals who can anticipate emerging issues are needed to provide care and lead in clinical services, agency management and policy development at the local, national and global levels.

The U.S. Department of Labor projects that by 2024, significantly more nurses and social workers will be needed across the United States, with demand for these professionals growing more rapidly than the average for all professions. This growing need will be driven by anticipated growth in overall population, and as our population grows, it will become increasingly diverse in ethnicity, culture and experience. Nurses and social workers from all backgrounds will meet this need, and they must be able to effectively practice with sensitivity toward patients’ and clients’ backgrounds. Building a student community with a shared vision across lines of difference is a key part of training professionals to work with patients and clients across lines of difference.

The USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work and Department of Nursing is unique in our ability to meet the need for culturally competent nurses and social workers. We equip a diverse student body with sophisticated training, and students graduate from our school well-prepared to serve as leaders and advocates for any population.

Our students are learning from our internationally recognized faculty and researchers, and gain access to our large network of professionals. We also offer a diverse selection of opportunities for applied field study with various agencies, institutional partners and clinical environments across the country.

Providing nursing and social work students with opportunities to receive financial support as they prepare to join and advance in their professions is more important than ever, and philanthropic contributions are a crucial part of that. It is vital to make more scholarship funds available for as many students as possible and ease the burden of debt as they begin their careers.    You can join us in supporting nurses and social workers from all backgrounds and experiences by making a contribution to one of our scholarship funds.

You Make the Difference

Research has shown that one of the greatest barriers to qualified students from all walks of life earning graduate degrees and subsequently entering—and enriching—the workplace is money. Many prospective students cannot afford their training, or find they are unable to finish their program because they cannot take time off from working to attend school.

We are asking all members of our community—alumni, parents and friends—to join us in supporting our students  and the future of the profession by making a gift in support of scholarships. You can choose to direct your gift to a scholarship fund that is meaningful to you:

• The Barbara Solomon Endowed Scholarship is awarded to first-year African-American MSW students who have an expressed interest in working within the African-American community.
• The Latino Scholarship Endowed Fund is awarded to Latinx MSW students with outstanding academic merit.
• The LGBTQ Scholarship Fund is awarded to students studying in the MSW, DSW and MSN programs who have demonstrated a commitment to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and queer (LGBTQ) issues through academic accomplishments, community involvement and/or other personal contributions.
• The Nishimoto Endowed Scholarship is awarded to first-year Asian Pacific MSW students with a commitment to the Asian Pacific Islander community.
• The Nursing Scholarship Fund awards scholarships on a need basis to MSN students from various backgrounds and experiences.
• The Social Work General Scholarship Fund awards scholarships to MSW students from various backgrounds and experiences on both a need and merit basis, including DACA-recipient students, Native students and students who have demonstrated commitment to the social work profession and to the lives of others.

Gifts of all sizes make a difference and contribute to our overall goal of providing more scholarship opportunities to more students. Members of our giving society, the Advocates Circle, will receive additional courtesies in recognition of their support, including complimentary and discounted access to exclusive programs, events and professional development opportunities.

We are grateful for your support and commitment to our students, and for your dedication to preparing them to promote health and wellness and address the many complex challenges that our society faces today. Together, we can make the world a better place!